Fearn

During Harold G. Fearn’s 18-year tenure, from 1954-1972, the district as we know it today largely took shape. Built during his tenure were Hope Wall, Washington, Jefferson, Smith, Schneider, McCleery, Hall, Goodwin and the football stadium. Also, the administration office moved downtown and Hill, Nicholson, Todd, Jefferson, Smith, Schneider, McCleery, Hall and West all received additions. Fearn also developed a strong relationship with the Fox Valley Park District.

Freeman

Joseph Hewett Freeman was a highly respected Illinois educator and administrator and had the distinction of serving as superintendent of both the west- and east-side districts of Aurora. He first came to Aurora in 1869 as principal of Brady School. He served as superintendent on the west side from 1879-1886. He later became state superintendent of schools and served as president of statewide organizations for both teachers and schoolmasters. The Civil War veteran often referred to as "Captain Freeman," served as commander of the Aurora G.A.R. post.

Goodwin

Lucia Goodwin, daughter of pioneer Aurora settlers, ranked first in scholarship in her high school graduating class, but missed commencement exercises because of measles. In 1901 she graduated from Stanford. Goodwin taught math for 33 years, from 1903-1936, and retired at the age of 71, the oldest living instructor in the West Aurora schools. She was known as a strict disciplinarian, but exhibited patience and fairness with her students. Goodwin stood just over five feet tall. "Tiny she may have been, but she could face down the biggest football player who wanted to go out for practice without getting his assignment done. Tradition says she even brought a freshet of tears from some of those football players when she said ‘No!’ and made it stick" (Beacon News, 1967). Her pupils were so well schooled in geometry, trigonometry and algebra that college teachers would often ask their students who had prepared them so well.

Greenman

When A. V. Greenman took over the superintendency from Frank Hall in 1890, the West Aurora district had only 18 teachers. The high school had just 80 students. Those numbers grew to 35 and 260 by 1908, the year before Greenman’s tenure ended. He oversaw the building of the first West High School in 1906 and the Galena Street School in 1909. This would later be changed to Greenman School. He also installed the Department of Domestic Science and Manual Arts in the district. During Greenman’s tenure on the west side, he served as president of the State Teacher’s Association.

Hall

Frank Haven Hall was a soldier, educator, businessman, inventor, and author. He served as superintendent from 1868-1875 and again from 1887-1890. Until he invented the Hall Braillewriter, most teachers of the blind resisted the Braille System. His was the first practical embossing typewriter that made the learning process easier for the blind students. In 1893 he co-invented the stereotypewriter which produced copies faster and cheaper. Today most books for the blind are made on updated versions of this machine.

In the late 1800's, the Underwood Building in Aurora displayed another of Frank Hall's inventions -- the first electric clock. In addition, he wrote many books on mathematics which were used in schools all over the world.

Hill

Prior to her coming to Aurora in 1902, Nancy L. Hill held teaching and administrative positions in Yorkville. She taught at Oak Street School (Mary A. Todd School) in Aurora for seven years and then served as principal for 19 years. Hill was highly regarded and was once considered for the superintendency. Two weeks before her death, she was named to be the principal of the new J.H. Freeman School. She was described as a fine teacher and "a wonderful character builder." At the time of her death, a school board member described Smith as "absolutely unselfish and just and generous toward all, -- seeking always for the good and overlooking the faults…" The Illinois Avenue School was named for Nancy L. Hill on June 11, 1928.

Hope Wall

Hope D. Wall was a local pioneer in special education. Born in 1912 in South Dakota, she later moved to Aurora with her family and taught at Brady School. In 1961, parents asked her to help start a school for the mentally retarded. Prior to this time, most children with disabilities did not attend school. Although she had no formal training in working with children with disabilities, she accepted the challenge. At its inception, Wall was the only teacher at the private, eight-student John F. Kennedy School for the Mentally Retarded, which was in the old post office building. In 1969, East and West districts took over JFK and came together to build the present facility. The current Hope D. Wall School opened in 1971. Wall retired in 1972 and died in 2001 at the age of 89.

Jewel

Gary D. Jewel’s relationship with the district began 43 years ago and continues strongly to this day. He began as a teacher at Franklin Junior High School and later served as principal of Washington Middle School. He later became an assistant superintendent and then superintendent, a position he held for 14 years until his retirement in 1993.

During his tenure, Jewel built positive relations with local businesses that began Partners in Education and the Corridor Partnership. He also was a leader and charter member of a state-wide association of large unit school district.

Schools named after teachers and principals
(In chronological order of their service to the district)

McCleery

Wayne McCleery, superintendent from 1950-1953, undertook and completed a program of significant school expansion and modernization in the district’s history. This included building the new West High School and converting the former high school to what became Franklin Junior High School.


Nicholson

Nicholson School was built originally in 1891 as Montgomery School. In 1953 a new addition was constructed, and in 1961a new addition replaced the original building. In 1962 the school was officially renamed for Grace M. Nicholson who began teaching at the school in 1902 and was principal from 1915 to 1949. Nicholson, a graduate of West High School, used her personal funds to start a school library in 1911 and was active in establishing the first kindergarten in 1915. She also helped organize the first Montgomery School PTA after World War One. It was stated at the renaming ceremony, at which Nicholson spoke, that the secret to her success as a teacher was respecting each of her pupils as individuals.

Schneider

Schneider, which was opened in 1964, is the only District 129 school with a tie to local history. John Peter Schneider was an immigrant from Germany, who came to the Fox River in 1834. He subsequently built a cabin, dam, and mill near the present intersection of Butterfield Road and Route 25. North Aurora used to be known as Schneider’s Mill or Schneider’s Crossing.

The following provides some historical information on District 129 schools that bear the names of local educators. Schools named after superintendents are presented first, followed by schools named after teachers.

Schools named after superintendents
(In chronological order of their service to the district)


Smith

Gertrude Scott Smith taught in the district for 46 years. She began her teaching career in 1900 at the Oak Street School (Mary A. Todd School). After some years, she became principal of the South Lake Street School (Abraham Lincoln). In September of 1917, she was transferred to West High to teach math. In 1927, Smith became assistant principal and in 1933, she was appointed dean of girls. She is described as having had "an indomitable faith and belief in most everybody, and this was the source of her wise and friendly counsel that inspired, encouraged and endeared her many students." Smith School was dedicated in 1964, six years after Smith’s death.


Todd

In 1871 at the age of 14, Mary Todd graduated from West High as the class valedictorian. A year later she was a West "teacher in the grades." Todd served as the high school principal from 1884-1887 before taking a year off. In 1888, she was elected Supervisor of Drawing and teacher of Mathematics. She finally resigned from teaching 1917 and died four years later. The first high school annual ever published was dedicated to Todd with a poem. It reads, in part, "Since thou so cheeringly hast filled thy place/ And left upon thy friends so deep a trace/ Of all thy goodness; we unforgetful, try/ To render some small part of what’s thy due." In 1923 Oak Street School was renamed Mary A. Todd School. The original school on this site, begun in 1852, was called the Stone School and later Old Stone School. At least two additions were built, the last being a 4th floor used as the first high school on the west side. The school burned in 1885 and was replaced in 1886.